Rear Electrode Structures for Displays

1. A display comprising: an electrophoretic display medium comprising a polymeric matrix defining a plurality of voids wherein at least one void contains an electrophoretic fluid; at least one electrode disposed adjacent to the electrophoretic display medium for addressing the electrophoretic display medium; at least one conductor for applying an addressing voltage to the at least one electrode; and a substrate disposed between the at least one electrode and the at least one conductor, the substrate defining at least one via therethrough for providing electrical communication between the at least one electrode and the at least one conductor.

2. The display of claim 1 , the polymeric matrix comprises a binder.

3. The display of claim 1 , wherein the voids are between 10 micrometers to 1 millimeter in size.

4. The display of claim 1 , wherein the electrophoretic display medium further comprises a capsule membrane enclosing the at least one void.

5. The display of claim 1 , wherein the electrophoretic display medium has a flattened surface adjacent to the at least one electrode.

6. The display of claim 5 , wherein the flattened surface is a portion of at least one capsule.

7. The display of claim 6 , wherein the at least one capsule is substantially rectangular in shape.

8. The display of claim 1 , wherein the substrate comprises a dielectric coating.

9. The display of claim 8 , wherein the dielectric coating is formed by printing.

10. The display of claim 1 , further comprising an electrically conducting material disposed between the at least one electrode and the at least one conductor to shield the electrophoretic display medium from the at least one conductor.

11. The display of claim 1 , further comprising a counter electrode, the electrophoretic display medium being disposed between the counter electrode and the at least one electrode, wherein an electric field appears across the electrophoretic display medium between the counter electrode and the at least one electrode when the addressing voltage is applied to the at least one electrode.

12. A display comprising: an electrophoretic display medium; and an active-matrix-addressing backplane disposed adjacent to the electrophoretic display medium, the active-matrix-addressing backplane comprising: at least one electrode for addressing the electrophoretic display medium; at least one nonlinear element for applying an addressing voltage to the at least one electrode; and a substrate disposed between the at least one electrode and the at least one nonlinear element, the substrate defining at least one via for providing electrical communication between the at least one electrode and the at least one nonlinear element.

13. The display of claim 12 , wherein the at least one nonlinear element comprises at least one thin-film transistor.

14. The display of claim 12 , wherein the at least one nonlinear element comprises at least one diode.

15. The display of claim 12 , wherein the active-matrix-addressing backplane further comprises a flexible substrate disposed adjacent to the at least one nonlinear element.

16. The display of claim 15 , wherein the flexible substrate comprises at least one material selected from the group consisting of metal foil, plastic film and paper.

17. The display of claim 12 , wherein the electrophoretic display medium comprises a polymeric matrix defining a plurality of voids wherein at least one void contains an electrophoretic fluid.

18. The display of claim 17 , wherein the polymeric matrix comprises a binder.

19. The display of claim 17 , wherein the electrophoretic display medium has a flattened surface adjacent to the at least one electrode.

20. The display of claim 17 , wherein the electrophoretic fluid comprises an electrophoretic contrast media phase that includes at least one electrophoretic particle and a suspending fluid.

21. The display of claim 1 , wherein the electrophoretic fluid comprises an electrophoretic contrast media phase that includes at least one electrophoretic particle and a suspending fluid.